FIFTH COMMITTEE ASSESSES BUDGET IMPLICATIONS OF 11 DRAFT RESOLUTIONS, ADDRESSING SUCH ITEMS AS SMALL ARMS CONFERENCE, GUATEMALA MISSION

Fifty-eighth General Assembly

Fifth Committee

28^th Meeting (AM)

FIFTH COMMITTEE ASSESSES BUDGET IMPLICATIONS OF 11 DRAFT RESOLUTIONS,

ADDRESSING SUCH ITEMS AS SMALL ARMS CONFERENCE, GUATEMALA MISSION

Also Considers Revised Estimates on Counter-Terrorism Committee

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this morning took up the programme budget implications of 11 drafts emanating from the work of the Main Committees and the General Assembly, as well as revised estimates concerning the Counter-Terrorism Committee.

While resources to finance such decisions as extension of the mandate of the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) and continuation of the Secretary-General’s good offices in Central America would be charged against the provision of $163.18 million for special political missions in the proposed budget for 2004-2005, other proposed actions would be financed from the contingency fund, which is set for each biennium to accommodate additional expenditures derived from legislative mandates not provided for in the programme budget.

Among the draft texts to be financed from the contingency fund were those concerning a 2006 conference to review implementation of measures to combat and eradicate illicit trade in small arms and light weapons; financing the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) in 2004; and endorsing a decision to establish a working group, to prepare a draft for negotiations on an international convention on the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities.

Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), Conrad S.M. Mselle, however, introducing the recommendations of his Committee on the matter, drew attention to the fact that potential charges against the contingency fund for 2004-2005 exceeded the level approved by the Assembly -- $21.6 million.  The Secretary-General, therefore, should make proposals, in his consolidated statement of programme budget implications and revised estimates, for revising the consolidated amount so that it will not exceed the available balance.

In some of his recent reports, the Secretary-General recalls that, under the procedures established by the Assembly, if additional expenditures were proposed that exceeded the resources available from the contingency fund, the activities concerned would be implemented only through redeployment of resources from low-priority areas or modification of existing activities.  Otherwise, such additional activities would have to be deferred to a later biennium.

Several speakers in the ensuing discussion expressed concern over the inadequate level of the contingency fund, and the representative of Morocco, on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, supported by Mexico and Cuba, said that the time had come to address the issue, giving serious consideration to the need to increase the level of the fund.  It was also important to address the nature of activities covered by the contingency fund.

Also participating in the debate were representatives of Uganda, Gabon and the United States.

The Secretary-General’s statements on programme budget implications were introduced by Director of the Programme Planning and Budget Division Warren Sach.

The Committee will continue its work at 10 a.m. Wednesday, 17 December.

Background

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this morning was expected to take up programme budget implications of various draft resolutions before the Assembly.

The first document before the Committee was a statement on programme budget implications (document A/C.5/58/17) of a First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) draft (document A/C.1/58/L.1/Rev.1), by the terms of which the Assembly would decide to convene in June-July 2006 a conference to review implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in all its Aspects.  Should the Assembly adopt the text, an additional provision of some $1.89 million –- a charge against the contingency fund -- would be required over and above the resources presented in the proposed programme budget for 2004-2005 to prepare for the conference.

Commenting on this proposal, the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), in a related report (document A/58/7/Add.14), recommends that the Fifth Committee inform the Assembly that, should it adopt draft resolution A/C.1/58/L.1/Rev.1, an additional appropriation of $1.89 million would be required in the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2004-2005 as follows:  section 2, General Assembly affairs and conference services, $1.52 million; section 4, Disarmament, $254,200; section 29D, Office of Central Support Services, $69,700; and section 32, Staff assessment, $47,100 (to be offset by an equivalent amount under income section 1, Income from staff assessment).  Under the procedures established by the General Assembly in its resolutions 41/213 and 42/211, those provisions would represent a charge against the contingency fund.

In his statement of programme budget implication on the Sixth Committee (Legal) draft resolution A/C.6/58/L.18, the Secretary-General estimates that the adoption of the text would give rise to additional resource requirements amounting to some $2.36 million.  By the terms of the draft, the Assembly would decide that the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization should hold its next session in March-April 2004 and endorse the efforts of the Secretary-General to eliminate the backlog in the publication of the Repertory of the Practice of the Security Council.

The Advisory Committee, in a related report (document A/58/7/Add.13) notes that the conference-servicing requirements for the nine-day session of the Special Committee are estimated at $235,714 and that the meeting has already been programmed into the calendar of conferences.  No additional appropriation is, therefore, required.

As for the Repertory, the ACABQ recalls that, in his report on the reform of the Organization, the Secretary-General had stated that it should no longer be produced.  Accordingly, no provision was included in the budget proposal for the next biennium for that purpose.  While realizing that there remains a reliance on hard copies of the Repertory, the Advisory Committee encourages the Secretariat to make greater use of the Internet to disseminate the publication.

The Advisory Committee’s recommendation is to inform the General Assembly that the adoption of the draft would give rise to additional resource requirements of some $2.36 million, representing a charge against the contingency fund.

Also according to the report, the Advisory Committee has been informed that as of 24 November, potential charges against the contingency fund for 2004-2005 exceeded the level approved by the Assembly at $21.6 million.  Therefore, the Secretary-General should make proposals, in his consolidated statement of programme budget implications and revised estimates for the current session, for revising the consolidated amount so that it will not exceed the available balance.

This warning has been included in several Advisory Committee reports to be introduced today.  The Secretary-General, in some of his most recent reports, recalls that under the procedures established by the Assembly, a contingency fund is set for each biennium to accommodate additional expenditures derived from legislative mandates not provided for in the programme budget.  Under this procedure, if additional expenditures were proposed that exceed the resources available from the contingency fund, the activities concerned would be implemented only through redeployment of resources from low-priority areas or modification of existing activities.  Otherwise, such additional activities would have to be deferred to a later biennium.

The Committee also had before it a statement on programme budget implications of draft resolution A/58/L.19 on the law of the sea (document A/C.5/58/22), by the terms of which the Assembly would address the need to establish a regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment by 2004.  Among those steps, a group of experts would be convened to produce a draft document with details on the scope, general framework and outline of the regular process, peer review, secretariat, capacity-building and funding.

An international workshop with representatives from all interested parties would also be convened, in conjunction with the fifth meeting of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on oceans and the law of the sea.  Moreover, an intergovernmental meeting to formally establish the regular process would be convened in Reykjavik, Iceland, in 2004.

Should the Assembly adopt the draft, additional requirements of $347,000 (at 2004-2005 rates) would be required, as a charge against the contingency fund, to hold two meetings per day for three days, with interpretation in all six languages.  No additional provision would be required for holding the final intergovernmental meeting in Reykjavik, as the difference in costs between New York and Iceland would be borne by the host Government.

In its report (document A/58/7/Add.16), the Advisory Committeerecommends informing the Assembly that, should it adopt draft resolution A/58/L.19, an additional appropriation of $347,000 (at 2004-2005 rates) would be required in the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2004-2005, subject to the procedures established for the use and operation of the contingency fund.

Another document before the Committee was a report of the Secretary-General on revised estimates for the 2004-2005 budget for the provision of services to the Counter-Terrorism Committee (document A/C.5/58/23).  During the current biennium, services to the Committee have been provided from within the overall conference and support services resources through temporary internal redeployment of funds from other programmed activities.  Under the terms of General Assembly resolutions 56/288 and 57/292, the actual requirements for the Committee have been reported to the Assembly in the first and second budget performance reports for the biennium 2002-2003.

Given the extraordinary nature of the CTC activities mandated by the Security Council, the requirements for the Committee were not included in the budget proposal for 2004-2005.  At this stage, resources for conference and common support services for the Committee are requested for 2004 only, following the pattern of requests made in 2002-2003.  The estimates for the year amount to some $4.84 million, of which $650,700 would be absorbed, while the balance of $4.19 million would require an additional appropriation.  It is proposed that these requirements be dealt with outside the context of the contingency fund.

Should the activities of the Committee be extended beyond 2004, the Secretary-General will submit supplementary proposals at the next session of the Assembly, in the first performance report for 2004-2005.

Finding that the treatment of the financing of the CTC activities is inconsistent, the ACABQ, in a related report (document A/58/7/Add.17), requests that it be regularized.  The Advisory Committee has been informed that the mandate of the CTC would be extended through 2005.  In that connection, it reiterates its view that the estimate for open-ended entities, such as monitoring mechanisms, expert groups or the Counter-Terrorism Committee, should be presented in the proposed programme budget.

Notwithstanding those comments, the Advisory Committee recommends authorizing the Secretary-General to enter into commitments of $4.19 million in connection with conference servicing and common support requirements of the Counter-Terrorism Committee in 2004.  Such additional appropriations as may be necessary can be dealt with in the context of the first performance report for the 2004-2005 biennium, which should include detailed information on the expenditures.

Another statement of programme budget implication before the Committee (document A/C.5/58/24) refers to a Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) draft resolution (A/C.3/58/L.36) on future operations of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW).  By the text, the Assembly would decide to continue providing its full support to the efforts to revitalize the Institute and provide complementary funds to ensure its functioning in 2004.

Regarding the Institute’s current financial situation, the report states that, including the amount of $500,000 approved in decision 57/580 and resolution 57/311 to finance the core activities of INSTRAW in 2003, total projected resources available to the Institute would amount to $735,600, as of 31 December 2003.  The costs of INSTRAW in 2004 would amount to $970,300, including salaries for nine current posts.  It is estimated that the projected INSTRAW Trust Fund balance of $735,600 would enable the Institute to continue its operations until the end of September 2004.  As it is not possible to determine with any certainty whether the Institute would have additional voluntary contributions that would allow it to function beyond September 2004, an additional amount of $234,700 would be required to maintain it until the end of 2004.

Thus, should the Assembly adopt the draft, the decision to provide support to the Institute would, contingent upon the availability of voluntary contributions to INSTRAW, give rise to potential additional requirements of up to $234,700 for the coming biennium.  The provision would represent a charge against the contingency fund.

Having considered the Secretary-General’s report, the Advisory Committee (document A/58/7/Add.20) recommends informing the Assembly about those budget implications of the draft.  In view of the uncertainty of the financial requirements, however, the Advisory Committee recommends that this matter be addressed again at a resumed session.  This will allow time for the staffing situation to be clarified and for the new Director to pursue and report upon fund-raising activities.

The Committee also had before it a programme budget implication statement (document A/C.5/58/25), which relates to draft resolution A/C.3/58/L.78, concerning the Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities.  By the text, the Assembly would endorse the Ad Hoc Committee’s decision to establish a working group, which would prepare a draft for negotiations on the convention.  It would also decide that prior to the fifty-ninth session of the Assembly, the Ad Hoc Committee should hold, within existing resources, two 10-day sessions in 2004.

The Secretary-General estimates that the costs for conference services for the working group of the Ad Hoc Committee and its additional session would amount to $763,500, at full cost.  This would represent additional requirements over the resources proposed under section 2, General Assembly affairs and conference services ($734,100), and section 29D, Office of Central Support Services ($29,400), of the proposed budget for 2004-2005.

Commenting on the document, the Advisory Committee, in its report (document A/58/7/Add.21) agrees that the adoption of the draft would give rise to additional requirements of up to $763,500.  It would be necessary to consider the appropriation in the context of the review of the consolidated statement of programme budget implications and the revised estimates falling under the guidelines for the contingency fund, scheduled to be undertaken towards the end of the first part of the fifty-eighth session of the Assembly.

The Committee also had before it a statement submitted by the Secretary-General (document A/C.5/58/26) on the budget implications of draft resolution A/C.3/58/L.68/Rev.1 on the situation of human rights in Myanmar.  By that text, the Assembly would request the Secretary-General to continue to provide his good offices in Myanmar; report on the progress made; give all necessary assistance to his Special Envoy and, in the context of the facilitation role, to explore any and all possibilities for discharging his mandate fully and effectively; and continue to give all necessary assistance to the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Myanmar.

The Secretary-General estimates the costs of continuing the efforts of the good offices of the Secretary-General through his Special Envoy for Myanmar at $245,900 for a one-year period (1 January to 31 December 2004).

The Advisory Committee, in a related report (document A/58/7/Add.22), notes that the mandate of the Special Rapporteur falls under the category of activities considered to be of a perennial nature and that provisions for such activities have already been included in the proposed budget for 2004-2005, under section 24, Human rights.

With respect to the action required from the Assembly, the Advisory Committee recommends that the Fifth Committee inform the Assembly that, should it adopt draft resolution A/C.3/58/L.68/Rev.1, a provision in the amount of $245,900 would be required for the period from 1 January to 31 December 2004 for the continuation of the efforts of the good offices of the Secretary-General in Myanmar.  Those requirements would be charged against the provision of $163.2 million proposed for special political missions of the 2004-2005 budget.

According to a programme budget implication statement on the Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict (document A/C.5/58/28), by the terms of draft resolution A/C.3/58/L.28, the Assembly would decide that the activities under the mandate of the Special Representative be supported through regular budgetary funding.  The requirements for implementing the current mandate of his Office for 2004-2005 would amount to some $6.05 million gross.  It is estimated on this basis that the current remaining balance of extrabudgetary resources available for the Office would allow financing the current operation through July 2004.

However, it is expected that the report of the Secretary-General on a comprehensive assessment of the scope and effectiveness of the United Nations system response to the issue of children affected by armed conflict, including recommendations for strengthening and sustaining these activities, will be submitted in spring 2004.  Given the potential for changes in the scope of the programme of work and the mode of operation of the Office of the Special Representative resulting from the comprehensive assessment, it is recommended that the issue of regular budgetary funding for the Office be further reviewed by the Fifth Committee at its resumed fifty-eighth session.

The Advisory Committee, in a related report (document A/58/7/Add.23), notes that the Office of the Special Representative has been financed entirely by voluntary contributions since its inception.  As of the end of November 2003, the balance of extrabudgetary resources available for the Office amounted to some $2.12 million, which the Secretary-General estimates could allow the financing of the operations of the Office approximately through July 2004.

The ACABQ further points out that the programme budget implication statement submitted to the Third Committee (A/C.3/58/L.84), does not, in fact, contain information on requirements for possible estimates of expenditure arising from the draft resolution.  Rule 153 of the rules of procedure states that “no resolution involving expenditure shall be recommended by a committee for approval by the General Assembly unless it is accompanied by an estimate of expenditures prepared by the Secretary-General”.  Regarding the $6.05 million estimate provided by the Secretary-General, the Advisory Committee states that it does not consider this information a statement of programme budget implications in accordance with rule 153, either.  A breakdown of estimated requirements should be provided to the Fifth Committee for its consideration of the matter.

In any case, the ACABQ concludes that whether or not the activities under the mandate of the Special Representative should be funded under the regular budget is a policy decision to be made by the Assembly.  Should the decision be taken to do so, the Assembly will also have to decide whether to address the question of resource requirements now or at its resumed fifty-eighth session, in the spring of 2004, in the context of its consideration of the report to be submitted by the Secretary-General in pursuance of section V of Assembly resolution 57/190.

Programme budget implications of a draft resolution (document A/58/L.30) on the final year-long renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) through 31 December 2004, have been presented to the Fifth Committee in document A/C.5/58/29.  According to the report, should the Assembly extend the mandate of MINUGUA, requirements for 2004 of some $6.72 million would arise for the proposed programme budget for 2004-2005, to be charged against the provision of $163.18 million for special political missions in the proposed budget for 2004-2005.

Another document before the Committee (document A/C.5/58/30) contains a programme budget implication statement in connection with resolution A/58/L.38 on the situation in Central America, by the terms of which the Secretary-General would continue to provide good offices, as well as substantive support and political guidance in that region.  In order to provide adequate support to the Secretary-General’s efforts in Central America, resources would be needed for the continued engagement of the services of one political affairs officer (P-4 level) and one General Service staff member.  Estimated costs relating to the salaries and common staff costs for those two staff members for 2004 would amount to $218,000.  Other related operational requirements would be covered within the overall budget of the Department of Political Affairs.

Thus, the Secretary-General estimates that, should the Assembly adopt draft resolution A/58/L.38, a provision in the amount of $218,000 would be required for the period from 1 January to 31 December 2004, to be charged against the provision proposed for special political missions under section 3, Political affairs, of the proposed programme budget for 2004-2005.  Requirements for 2005, which have not been included in the statement before the Committee, will be contained in the report of the Secretary-General on estimates in respect of special political missions, good offices and other political initiatives authorized by the General Assembly and/or the Security Council, to be submitted to the Assembly at its fifty-ninth session.

The Advisory Committee, in its report (document A/58/7/Add.25) concurs with the Secretary-General’s recommendation.

In his statement on the programme budget implications (document A/C.5/58/31) of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) draft on the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (A/C.2/58/L.7/Rev.1), the Secretary-General estimates additional requirements arising out of possible adoption of the text at $1.73 million for holding the seventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention and its subsidiary bodies.  The potential for absorption of the above requirements within the existing capacities for conference servicing and documentation will be reviewed within the context of the consolidated statement of programme budget implications and revised estimates falling under the guidelines for the contingency fund.

In a related report (document A/58/7/Add.26), the ACABQ recommends that the Fifth Committee inform the General Assembly that the adoption of the draft would lead to additional requirements of $1.73 million under sections 2, General Assembly affairs and conference services ($1.72 million), and 29D, Office of Central Support Services ($7,000), of the proposed 2004-2005 budget.  These requirements would need to be considered in the context of the review of the consolidated statement of programme budget implications and revised estimates, provided for in the procedures established by the Assembly in its resolutions 41/213 and 42/211 regarding the operation of the contingency fund, to be undertaken by the General Assembly at the main part of its fifty-eighth session.

Document A/C.5/58/32 contains a programme budget implication statement on the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) draft resolution related to the protection of global climate for present and future generations of mankind (document A/C.2/58/L.14/Rev.1).  By the text, the General Assembly would request the Secretary-General to make provision for the sessions of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its subsidiary bodies in his proposal for the programme budget for the biennium 2004-2005.

According to the document, the Fifth Committee may wish to inform the plenary that, should it adopt draft resolution A/C.2/58/L.14/Rev.1, additional requirements of some $3.78 million would arise and would need to be considered for appropriation in the context of the review of the consolidated statement of programme budget implications and revised estimates falling under the guidelines for the contingency fund, to be undertaken towards the end of the first part of the fifty-eighth session of the General Assembly.

Commenting on this, the Advisory Committee, in a related report (document A/58/7/Add.27), recommends that the Fifth Committee inform the General Assembly of the Secretary-General’s estimates.  The additional requirements would need to be considered for appropriation in the context of the review of the consolidated statement of programme budget implications and revised estimates, provided for under the procedures established by the General Assembly for the use of the contingency fund, to be undertaken by the General Assembly at the main part of its fifty-eighth session.

Introduction of Documents

Director of the Programme Planning and Budget Division, WARREN SACH, introduced the 11 statements on programme budget implications submitted by the Secretary-General.

Related ACABQ reports were introduced by its Chairman, CONRAD S.M. MSELLE, who presented the Advisory Committee’s recommendations and drew the delegates’ attention to its observations on the status of the contingency fund.

Statements

AICHA AFIFI (Morocco), speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, noted with serious concern that the level of the contingency fund had proven inadequate to accommodate all additional expenditures arising from mandates.  The time had come to address the issue and give serious consideration to the need to increase the level of the fund.  It was also important to address the nature of activities covered by the contingency fund, as some of the activities that were not directly related to programmes were increasingly being financed from the contingency fund to the detriment of mandates and activities with direct and specific programmatic orientation.  To that end, the Group wanted current negotiations on the reform of the budgetary cycle to address the issue.

Noting that an amount of some $2.36 million had been earmarked for the financing of the Repertory of the Practice from the contingency fund, she said that amount should not be included in the contingency fund, but should be restored to the 2004-2005 proposed programme budget where it rightly belonged.

FRANCIS MUMBEY-WAFULA (Uganda) said he was not overly satisfied with the operational aspect of the Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict.  He underlined the importance to the effective functioning of the Office, which should be visibly and globally operational, and able to implement its mandates in a stable financing setting.  No area concerning children in armed conflict should be neglected and the case of children in armed conflict in Uganda was a case in point.  He believed the Office should be adequately focused at an operational level to address all problems of children and armed conflict at a global level before making more commitments on funding.

ERNESTO HERRERA (Mexico) agreed with the Group of 77 and China that the mandates received by the Fifth Committee from other bodies should have high priority and that it was necessary to find satisfactory solutions to all of them.  It was important to think about the way to approach the future of the contingency fund in order to avoid exhausting the resources there, which would leave nothing for the future.  It was necessary to address the problem in an intelligent manner.  Otherwise, some items would have to be deferred until the next biennium.

NORMA LUCIA GOICOCHEA (Cuba) also fully endorsed the views of the Group of 77 and China, saying that time had come to take up the question of the level of the contingency fund.  In some cases, the use of the fund was lower than expected, but as new activities were approved, the phrase “within existing resources” was included, which precluded the use of the fund for the purpose it had been established.

The Fifth Committee should not reset priorities decided upon in other committees, she continued.  In that connection, it would be advisable to review what kind of activities should be financed under the contingency fund.

She went on to endorse the proposal that resources requested for the Charter Committee for the Repertory of the Security Council practices should be restored to the budget.  It was inappropriate for those resources to be taken out of the budget without an intergovernmental decision on the matter.

In conclusion, she took note of the comment by the ACABQ that the necessary information had not been provided on the question of the programme budget implications of the text related to the Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict.  That was inappropriate.  The Secretariat should always provide information to enable the taking of decisions.

ALFRED MOUNGARA-MOUSSOTSI (Gabon) said that some delegations, concerned at the financial instability of the Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, had submitted a draft resolution on the financing of the Office’s activities from the regular budget.  After a recorded vote, the resolution had been approved.  He regretted the attitude of the Budget Division on the matter.  To date, it had not produced a detailed statement on the Office’s finances.  An indication of the Office’s real needs would have made it possible to understand the difficulties encountered by the Office.

Postponing a decision on the Office’s financial situation, he said, would be in contradiction with the decision of the General Assembly, which in resolution A/57/190 renewed the mandate of the Special Representative.  One could not overemphasize the essential nature of the Office and, in that regard, he urged understanding of all delegations on the need to provide the Offices with the resources needed to carry out its mandate.  The Special Representative must be given the means to carry out the job collectively given to him by Member States.  He proposed that the Committee hear from the Special Representative.  The Committee should stick to the terms of resolution A/C.3/58/L.28, which called for the inclusion of financing of the Office within the regular budget.

MELANIE ATTWOOLL (United States) recalled that the General Assembly had reaffirmed the level of the contingency fund.  However, there was the issue of using up the full amount of the fund before the biennium had begun.  Regarding the conference to review illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, the United States regretted that it had had to vote against it in the First Committee.  The United States was deeply concerned by the statement of programme budget implications presented to the Committee.  As a priority activity, it should have been allocated as a priority within the budget.  There was room to offset and absorb it, she added.

Regarding the Repertory of Practice, she noted that the Secretary-General had taken the Repertory out with the concurrence of programme managers.  The United States supported his position in that regard.  If it were the will of the General Assembly to include the Repertory back in the budget, it should be on an extrabudgetary basis.  Concerning INSTRAW, the United States had worked hard to strengthen the Institute, including by changing its statute and enhancing the responsibilities of the Director.  However, the United States position remained that the activities for INSTRAW should be extrabudgetary and that no funds should come from the regular budget to provide a subvention for its activities.

Regarding the conferences of the parties to the conventions on climate change and desertification, she said conference services should be paid for in full by the Member States that were parties to those treaties.  She did not see a compelling reason why they should be taken from the regular budget.

Introduction of Documents

Mr. SACH introduced the report of the Secretary-General on conference and support services extended to the Counter-Terrorism Committee in the implementation of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001).

Mr. MSELLE then introduced the related report of the ACABQ.

Statements

Ms. GOICOCHEA (Cuba) wanted to know the reasons for the reduction in the number of translated pages mentioned in paragraph 6 of the ACABQ report.  Did it mean that Member States had submitted fewer pages for translation or had the Secretariat reduced the number of pages by itself?  She also wanted the Secretariat to comment on the observations of the Advisory Committee regarding an inconsistency in the treatment of the financing of the Counter-Terrorism Committee.  Additional appropriations for the servicing of the Committee should be added to the amount of the budget.

Ms. ATTWOOLL (United States) noted that the provisions for the servicing of the Counter-Terrorism Committee extended only through 2004 and asked why the needs for 2005 had not been addressed.  What were the expectations for 2005?

Responding to questions, Mr. SACH said that the pattern of work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee had set the guidelines for the Committee’s financing arrangements.  Originally, as Member States began reporting to the Committee, there had been a very high volume of incoming documentation, but as work continued, there had been a reduction in the paper flow and materials required.  It was not entirely clear how the situation would evolve and if there would be the same level of activities through 2005.  Thus, the financing had been projected only through the end of 2004.  At the same time, he took note of the ACABQ recommendation regarding the need to regularize the treatment of the Committee financing in the next biennium.

Addressing the Committee’s programme of work for the remaining days of the session, MOHAMMED NAJIB ELJY (Syria) said that, if no concrete progress was made in the consideration of the budget because the Committee had failed to take up the core issue, further time should be set aside to consider the budget.

Ms. GOICOCHEA (Cuba) asked the Chairman for an exact indication of when the Committee was expected to conclude its work.

Mrs. AFIFI (Morocco) urged the Committee to focus on priority issues.  While all items were important, some were more important than others.

The Committee’s Chairman, HYNEK KMONÍČEK (Czech Republic) said the Bureau was in constant contact with the coordinators of the various items.  Based on information he now had, he expected the Committee to conclude its work on Thursday.  He had taken note of the issue of priorities.  The fact that all of the issues on the programme were mandatory meant there was no chance of deferring items to another point.  The situation would be considered on a daily basis.

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